Method for producing a transparent mosaic



United States Patent The present invention is concerned with a novel form of artwork. In its more specific aspects, it is concerned with artwork which may be substituted for stained glass windows and the like, in uses involving light transmission,

and artwork which may be used equally well as wall pictures, decorations, and the like, in uses where light re flection is involved. Works of art made in accordance with the invent-ion may be reversibly viewable providing pictorial representations suitable for separate and distinct uses ordinarily requiring differing types of artwork.

Conventional stained glass work is being used less in building today for economic and other reasons. The craftsmanship involved, if sufficiently skilled, and available, is costly. Also, the appearance does not blend well with most modern building materials "and architecture. The stained glass art form has been conservative to the point where use of stained glass work has all but disappeared in modern structures.

Also, conventional stained glass windows are ordinarily meaningless as art unless being viewed from inside a particular structure with benefit of proper light transmission. They are not reversibly viewable; a view from outside the structure can hardly be related to the pictorial representation intended by the work of art.

In contradistinction thereto, the present invention provides teachings on artwork adaptable to and suitable for modern building practice; an artwork providing colored pictorial representations which in supplanting stained glass work presents good pictorial content weather viewed from inside or outside a structure without benefit of, or necessity for, light transmission. Because of these properties, artwork of the present invention is suitable for many applications in doors, windows, room dividers, wall pictures, and similar decorative artistic uses ordinarily requiring differing art forms. It is also an art from suitable for practice by non-professionals without lengthy art instructions. Further, it is art form suitable for repetitive design permitting production of pictorial representations by continuous processes.

The pictorial working medium for the present art form is largely colored transparent materials which can be referred to generically as color transparencies. Suitable color transparencies are available commercially and are generally referred to as transparent colored gelatine papers, plastic sheets, etc. In general, these cellophanelike materials take the form of sheets but may be used in chip, stripes, or selected shapes.

The pictorial representation is formed by securing color transparencies to a substantially transparent sheet of hardplastic, glass or similar suitable rigid 'or semi-rigid material. An outline of the pictorial representation may be made on a base transparent sheet to which the color transparencies are secured. The color transparencies may be cut out separately before attachment or out after attachment to the base sheet to con-form to the outline. The outline itself, unless desirable for accentuating some portion of the pictorial representation, may be situated so as to be easily removed from the final product, that is, it may be drawn on an exterior surface of the transparent sheet or it may take the form of an outline on paper, a picture, or the like, from which the pictorial representation is formed by a copying or overlaying technique. The latter is especially useful for non-professionals, hobbyists, and students.

"ice

Color transparencies are more versatile than most working mediums and avoid many problems common to con ventional mediums. For example, if three color transparencies, red, yellow, and blue, are partially overlaid with each other, they produce a seven color configuration-red, yellow, blue, orange, purple, green, and near black where all three overlap. Such multi-colored configurations can be formed :by overlaying three color transparency sheets and cutting away selective portions of one or more of the sheets, or by overlaying color transparencies of selected shapes, with or without cutting away. When a portion of each color transparency at a particular spot is cut away, the transparent sheet tone, clear or otherwise, will show through. Combinations of colors are limitless; five color overlays utilizing red, yellow, blue, lavender, and pink, for example, can be used to produce up to eighteen colors or tones, and more, using cutaway procedures. The pictorial representation results from a two-dimensional arrangement of color transparencies and is enhanced by appropriate cutting away techniques. The medium permits experimentation for desired color tones or shapes while working without the semi-finality of brush strokes or steps taken in other mediums.

Color transparencies can be used in sheet, strips, chips or pulverized form in making a picture. In pulverized form with a clear liquid binder, such as epoxy resin, they can be used for permanent outlining or accentuating parts of a picture. Pulverized pigments in a binder can be used similarly and either can be used for fine line drawing such as in facial features or can be used for shading, highlighting, and similar artistic techniques.

After a pictorial representation is formed on a base transparent sheet, another substantially transparent sheet conforming in size and shape to the original is placed in overlying relationship to the picture. A substantially clear laminating material is utilized intermediate the sheets. Any suitable laminating process can be utilized which provides air and moisture protection for the intermediate picture. If desired, depending on the use to which the picture will be put, all air bubbles can be removed from intermediate the transparent sheets by a suitable laminating process utilizing plastic laminating material and pressure. When not possible to remove all air bubbles by a particular laminating process, it has been found that the tonal effect of air bubbles is not necessarily unattractive and can add desirable highlights. Location of bubbles can be controlled by applying differing pressures in selected areas of the work while laminating.

The semi-rigid or rigid substantially transparent sheet used may have a slight color tone to be perfectly clear. Where an overall color tone is desired in a particular work of art, this can be accomplished by use of a transparent sheet with a slight color tone, by overlaying the entire pictorial representation with a suitable pale-tone color transparency, or by pigmentation of the bonding or laminating material.

It is emphasized, however, that in overlaying color transparencies as described for color tone or in forming the pictorial representation, no third dimension separation or thickness build-up is relied on for a three-dimensional effect; the medium is two-dimensional in application with three-dimensional effects accomplished by utilization of perspective and/ or by utilization of colors, shading, and highlighting. The present medium is unique in that techniques ordinarily reserved for separate art forms, for example, fiat painting or stained glass work, can be combined in this art form to produce highly unusual results. The result, for Want of a better term, can be referred to as a transparent mosaic.

Suitable sheet material can be Plexiglas sheets, glass panels, quartz, or other substantially transparent material with or without color tone and in planar or suitable curvilinear configuration. The color transparent material should be substantially color-fast especially in applica tions where exposure to ultra-violet is likely. The bonding material should similarly be resistant to change, neither darkening nor lightening with age and exposure.

A simple example will illustrate the possibilities of the cutting-away techniques. Where folds of a garment are to be shown, two or more layers of garment colored transparency can be secured to the base sheet. Cutting away portions which would ordinarily be highlighted will bring out the folds in the garment. Similar practice can be used for skin tones and shadings. Fine features in small work where cutting may be difiicult because of small sizes can be made using ground pigments and other materials applied with a brush as described earlier.

The pictorial representations are only limited by the skill of the artist. The works of art produced are suitable for framing for wall pictures, etc., can be used in screens for room dividers, can be used in church windows and the like, and memorial plaques, freestanding outdoor plaques, and other uses, not mentioned herein. While the art form is primarily one for individual creation and expression in a more versatile medium, it is recognized that with appropriate art work on color transparencies and laminating process a continuous or semi-continuous production could be had of extended lengths which could be severed into individual pictures. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, uses, and techniques specifically described.

What is claimed is:

Method for producing a reversibly viewable mosaic which presents substantially the same pictorial representa tion in uses involving light transmission alone, light re flection alone, and combinations of light transmission and reflection comprising the steps of outlining a picture on a rigid transparent base sheet, adhesively applying a plurality of pliable, paper-thin, transparent colored cellulosic layers of contrasting colors to the rigid transparent base sheet, the cellulosic layers being positioned in overlying relationship on the transparent base sheet by adhering a first colored cellulosic layer on the base sheet, cutting out selected areas of the first cellulosic layer, adhering a second colored cellulosic layer over the first layer and cutting out selected areas, and using such order of successively applying a predetermined number of colored cellulosic layers and cutting out selected areas to produce a pictorial representation as outlined, painting other selected areas of the cellulosic layers with suitably colored pigment to accentuate parts of the pictorial representation producing a composite image, and then laminating a second rigid transparent sheet to the rigid transparent base sheet in overlaying relationship to the composite image formed by the transparent cellulosic layers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 481,173 8/1892 Heymann 161-2 X 1,232,228 7/1917 Cornwell 161-2 1,813,901 7/1931 Bayne 15663 2,876,575 3/1959 Leika 156248 2,881,546 4/1959 Gauthier 1616 3,001,311 9/1961 Holsapple 156248 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,204,311 8/1959 France.

ALEXANDER WYMAN, Primary Examiner.

JACOB STEINBERG, Examiner. 

